Roads service show true grit

With frost and snow forecast for the coming weeks roads chiefs have insisted they are ready for the worst winter can throw at them.

East Dunbartonshire Council have plans in place to keep traffic moving and residents safe should predictions of an unusually cold winter turn out to be accurate.

Council depute leader Ashay Ghai said: “Our roads team is on standby 24 hours a day to respond to any gritting requirements.

“Our duty officer checks a dedicated forecasting service - specific to East Dunbartonshire - three times a day and makes a decision on what action is required to keep our roads safe.

“Throughout the area, there are three road sensors which give information on the current road condition, road surface temperature and the amount of residual salt.

“This tells us if gritting is necessary. Having this latest technology allows us to save money by only gritting when it’s needed and not wasting supplies unnecessarily.”

There are two classes of gritting route - Category One (Primary) and Category Two (Secondary) - with primary routes covering 67 per cent of roads and receiving priority treatment as soon as temperatures fall.

They include main roads, bus routes, access to fire stations, police stations, hospitals, schools and steep or dangerous roads.

Secondary routes cover local and general access roads, less used industrial roads and cul-de-sacs, and are only salted during prolonged periods of adverse weather.